Abstract
An automated dynamometer is developed to characterize brushed DC motors. The unique mechanical design allows the testing of a wide range of motor sizes. The motor under test is subjected to a given voltage signal and data from the comprehensive sensor suite is simultaneously recorded. The data are post-processed to identify the parameters of the specified motor model. Parameter estimates are made both with and without torque sensor data. The results are equivalent, suggesting that small motors, that cannot sufficiently excite the torque sensor, may still be tested and the torque sensor may be excluded in future dynamometers without significant loss of accuracy. Omitting the torque sensor reduces the system cost by a factor of five and decreases the mechanical complexity. Consistent parameter estimates from a set of well toleranced and documented identical motors demonstrate the accuracy and precision of the dynamometer.